Ideas change everything

My wish: The Charter for Compassion

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Karen Armstrong |

TED2008

• February 2008

People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help build a Charter for Compassion -- to restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine.

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Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

People want to be religious, says scholar Karen Armstrong; we should help make religion a force for harmony. She asks the TED community to help build a Charter for Compassion -- to restore the Golden Rule as the central global religious doctrine.

Want to use TED Talks in your organization?

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

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About the speaker

Karen Armstrong

Religious scholar

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Karen Armstrong -- winner of the 2008 TED Prize -- is a provocative, original thinker on the role of religion in the modern world.

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The Charter for Compassion

Sign the Charter for Compassion and share its message with others.

null - The Charter for Compassion

Karen Armstrong's TED Prize wish

In 2008, the religious scholar wished for humanity to come together and create an interfaith bill of rights for justice and understanding. Get the story.

"The 12 steps to a compassionate life"

"Compassion is a practically acquired knowledge, like dancing. You must do it and practice diligently day by day." A Q+A with advice on where to start.

This talk was presented at an official TED conference.

Read our curation guidelines.